Infographic – Most of US Tries Plant Food Alternatives

Click on image for full-size view (Statista)

29 Jan. 2022. For the past two years, Science & Enterprise reported on start-up companies developing plant-based alternatives to animal food sources. This week, the business research company Statista posted a chart showing alternative sources for animal food proteins from plants are beginning to gain traction in the U.S.

The data come from a Statista poll as part of its Global Consumer Survey that includes a section on food and nutrition. Statista sampled 1,043 adults in the U.S. in December 2021 asking if they consumed plant-based alternatives to meat, fish, or dairy products in the previous three months. A majority of respondents (58%) said they ate or drank at least one plant-based alternative to meat, fish, or dairy, while 42 percent said they did not.

Not surprisingly, those products on the market longer have more consumers. For example, more than a quarter of respondents (28%) consumed milk alternatives, such as from oats or almonds, while 13 percent said they ate plant-based alternatives to fish or seafood, relatively new to the market. Only about two in 10 (22%) say they tried plant-based meat alternatives, although that number may rise as fast-food outlets add them to their menus.

More from Science & Enterprise:

• Plant-Based Protein Biotech Raises $3M in Seed Funds
• Synthetic Bio Milk Company Gains $13M in Seed Funds
• Cell-Based Fish Company Gains $8.25M in Seed Funds

We designed Science & Enterprise for busy readers including investors, researchers, entrepreneurs, and students. Except for a narrow cookies and privacy strip for first-time visitors, we have no pop-ups blocking the page, nor distracting animated GIF graphics. If you want to subscribe for daily email alerts, you can do that here, or find the link in the upper left-hand corner of the desktop page. The site is free, with no paywall. But, of course, donations are gratefully accepted.

*     *     *